White Horse
by lunarocks14
Summary: <html><head></head>"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." Or is it? Rowena/Salazar.</html>


**DISCLAIMER: Taylor Swift owns the song, White Horse, and JK Rowling owns the characters. **

**A/N: Founders Era is fun to write :3**

_Say you're sorry, that face of an angel comes out just when you need it to_

_As I pace back and forth all this time, cos I honestly believed in you_

_Holding on, the days drag on_

_Stupid girl, I should've known, I should've known_

Rowena Ravenclaw sighed wearily, looking up at the stars, trying to stop the tears that threatened. It wasn't a matter of mourning, or sadness, even; all she could feel was anger and bafflement... a strange thought, surely? Rowena Ravenclaw, baffled.

Her mind flitted distractedly back to the memory she'd been trying to avoid; not a recent one, but one to be avoided if she didn't want to be caused pain.

Salazar had stood there, eyes bitter and resentful. "So you're choosing Gryffindor over me?" He'd asked.

She'd shaken her head slowly. "No, Salazar. I'm choosing to stay with the school _we _set up. It's not a matter of which of the two of you I prefer; had it been the other way around, with you staying and he leaving, I would have stayed then too. Nevertheless, I am _not_ in love with you, Salazar, therefore I will not leave with you."

"And you're in love with him." He'd stated, expressionless as always, but his eyes betrayed him.

She'd stood up straighter and shaken her head. "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure; not _love_, Salazar, _wit_. Love is foolish."

"But you love Helena." He had pointed out.

She'd met his eyes and kept her gaze there. "I do, and I stand by what I have always believed; love is foolish." Especially if one fell for someone like Salazar.

_That I'm not a princess, this ain't a faerietale_

_I'm not the one you sweep off her feet, lead her up the stairwell_

_This ain't Hollywood, this is a small town_

_I was a dreamer before you went and let me down_

Now, she blinked a few times, looking up to the full moon. Of course she loved him, but she couldn't stay with him. It wasn't her fate, and would never be. She had to stay on at Hogwarts. If there couldn't be four Founders, there had to be three, at least. Hogwarts couldn't survive with just Godric and Helga. The two of them were too likely to fall in love, and forget the world.

And she hadn't lied to Salazar; love was foolish. But it didn't mean she didn't love. Of course she loved her daughter. And as for Salazar? She didn't know. Even with her husband, she'd believed she could never love. Married because it was arranged, not wanted.

She knew she appeared haughty to most. It was only the other three Founders, and Helena, who knew her real self.

Those Muggles... they knew more than any witch or wizard, it seemed. Always discovering information, inventing objects and technologies. Wit beyond measure... yes, they had that in abundance, apparently. She herself was intelligent, but she'd never invented anything. She scowled lightly to herself. She didn't need to _invent_ to prove her intellect. She was a Ravenclaw. That said it all, surely?

Helena appeared suddenly, with a sweet smile, in all her 9-year-old glory. Rowena embraced her. "Helena, are you ready?" She asked.

Her daughter nodded, hazel eyes full of uncertainty, but face alight with excitement nonetheless. This would be her first year at Hogwarts. Of course she was two years too young, but she had been learning for five years already, with a mother like hers.

_Now it's too late for you and your white horse to come around_

_Baby I was n__aive, got lost in your eyes, I never really had a chance_

_My mistake, I didn't know to be in love you had to fight to have the upper hand_

_I had so many dreams about you and me, happy endings, now I know_

Rowena was taking Helena to Hogwarts for good; she'd stayed in the small town that they were leaving now for many years. She'd be happier at Hogwarts, with others like her, and somewhere she could be with her mother, instead of her aunt. Rowena didn't regret leaving Helena with Miriam, Rowena's sister, for eight school years. Helena had enjoyed it, enjoyed growing up around other children. But now her powers were beginning to show. As well as the other reason they had to leave, of course. Salazar would come to live here, and Rowena couldn't stand that. However in love she was, she'd choose her daughter over him any day.

Not that he loved her anyway! He was Salazar Slytherin; the flowers and gifts he'd bought her meant nothing to a man like him. He didn't love her and never would.

And Rowena wasn't trained in love. She didn't know how to react. She was too scared to give herself over to him, to run with him as he wanted her to. However, she did have her excuses. Helena, for one. She couldn't leave her beloved daughter, the only person she'd ever truly loved. Nor could she leave the school she'd founded, or her only two friends. Her first friends, and probably her last. Most people were put off by Rowena's attitude: she seemed to look down on everyone, unless they were as intelligent as her – and few were.

_That I'm not a princess, this ain't a faerietale_

_I'm not the one you sweep off her feet, lead her up the stairwell_

_This ain't Hollywood, this is a small town_

_I was a dreamer before you went and let me down_

She held her hand out for her daughter's. "Come, Helena."

"Can I just say bye-bye to the house one last time?" She asked, sweetly and hopefully.

Rowena complied with a nod and a sigh. A soft side of her she never showed to anyone but those closest to her. "Yes, darling." She followed Helena to the gate, then watched her run up to the porch and into the house.

_See, Salazar?_ She thought. _This is love. You'd let them do anything, just to make them happy. It's not about what gifts you buy them, what you say you'd do for them. You would die for them. You would kill, just to see them smile one last time. You would die to save their soul, their mind, their own true love. You were wrong all along, and so was I. _She realised, wonderingly, as she watched her daughter run to the window, dimples showing as she grinned, pressing her hand to the glass. Rowena padded up the lawn, to rest a hand on the other side of the glass, marvelling at this epiphany of what love truly was.

Because she knew Helena would hate her forever if she let herself be in love with Salazar, only seven weeks after the death of her father. And if it was either now, and lose Helena, or keep Helena and never have Salazar, the choice was clear. Her maternal instincts made the choice for her, really.

_Now it's too late for you and your white horse to come around_

_And there you are on your knees,  
><em>

_Begging for forgiveness, begging for me  
><em>

_Just like I always wanted but I'm so sorry_

Helena turned and ran up the stairs, two at a time. Rowena watched her go with a fond smile, before starting as an owl flew down, dropping a letter on her head before flapping off. She glanced up in irritation at it, before taking the letter, noticing the Hogwarts envelope, the flash of silver chain inside, and the handwriting. _Salazar_.

Her fingers shook slightly as she opened it.

_Rowena,_

_I'm sorry, so sorry,_

_I was wrong to act such. I do love you, with all my heart, and I didn't mean anything else I said apart from that one fact. _

_Please, please, just don't go anywhere. I know you're moving out. Stay. I'll be there in a few minutes. Wait for me, as I would wait for you._

_All my everlasting love,_

_Salazar._

Rowena narrowed her eyes slightly. She was moving out, though... she couldn't change her mind, that would annoy Helena...

She took out the chain; a beautiful white horse, on a silver necklace. She held the letter loosely in her other hand.

Her daughter appeared suddenly, closing the door behind her. "Ready, mother. Oh, who's that from? Godric?" She asked, hopefully, seeing the necklace and letter. "I bet he's missed you."

Rowena shook her head, smiling indulgently. "It's from Salazar."

Her daughter's expression changed dramatically, to one of horror. "Don't marry him, mother, please!"

"I'm not going to," she reassured, but couldn't help adding, "What have you got against him?"

"I don't want him to take you away from me."

_Cos I'm not your princess, this ain't a faerietale_

_I'm gonna find someone someday who might actually treat me well_

_This is a big world, that was a small town_

_There in my rear-view mirror disappearing now_

Rowena swept her up in a hug, holding her tightly. "Oh, darling, no-one could ever take me away from you. Not Salazar, not Godric, Miriam, Helga... no-one."  
>"Even death?" Helena asked, eyes wide and accusing.<p>

"I have no control over death, Lena," she told her gently, stroking her hair. "But I will endeavour to live as long as I can," she added quickly, seeing her daughter's mother open in protest. "And remember, whatever happens, I will always love you, baby." She touched her cheek, then let the necklace fall from her hand, letting go of her daughter but holding her hand quickly.

_Salazar, you'll never have me, not as long as Helena needs me. Anyway, I'm not used to love! And you never loved me. All your trinkets, your jewellery, show that. Love was never about money. Even with the precious weeks we've spent together, I can't stay like this. _She thought, sadly.

She passed her hand over the parchment quickly, wiping out Salazar's words and replacing them with her own, then she let it go, watching it drift down for a moment. She looked to the house one last time, then turned back to Helena, her child, and the only person she could love. Salazar wasn't hers, and would never be, she reminded herself.

"Come on. Let's get to Hogwarts." She gripped Helena's arm tightly, and turned, Disapparating instantly.

The letter drifted slowly down to the ground, landing writing-side up.

_And it's too late for you and your white horse_

_Now it's too late for you and your white horse to catch me now_

_Try and catch me now, it's too late to catch me now_

Barely a minute later, Salazar spurred his horse on as he arrived in the small town. His heart beat faster in anticipation of Rowena's reception. He rode up to the house, then dismounted with a small frown. It looked cold, cold and empty. Walking up to it, he saw the truth. She'd left. And she wasn't coming back.

The snowy-white mare tossed her head and whinnied, pawing at the ground. He turned, heart melting with sadness, and saw the letter on the ground.

He picked it up quickly, heart beating faster as he recognised Rowena's writing.

_Dear Salazar,_

_I'm not going to apologize. It would render your apology null and void._

_All I will say is that I know what I'm leaving behind. We could have been beautiful together. However, I don't believe you truly loved me. _

_And anyway... I can't afford to love you. Helena is my top priority. Everything I do, I do for her._

_I will miss you, Salazar..._

_I Love You, after all._

_But it's too late._

_Rowena._

His heart tore in two, but he'd never do the same to the letter. He'd keep it, read it every night, protect it, and when he died, he'd be found with it, along with a lock of hair, enclosed in a locket.

**A/N: Reviews? :3**


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